Well it is about time I do something with this bread I like making. I have been playing with this idea for a while but I have finally put in motion the project of baking bread for the homeless of Yellowknife.

It wont be big and fancy like I have seen in other cities. I’m simply going to make a bunch of bread and drop it off at the Salvation Army’s bread racks.

They get bread dropped off on Monday and Thursday, so my plan is to drop off a bunch of loaves on Wednesdays.

The nice thing about this project is that I will be getting the flour and sugar for the bread from Yellowknife’s Food Rescue program.

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My encounter with Leonard and Gina is still one that I’m in shock about. Let me tell you how these two are the begging of something bigger that I hope to accomplish.

On my way to work one morning, at approximately 6:50a.m. I walked past the TD Bank ATM area. Inside I saw two bodies on the ground, snuggled together and sleeping. I thought it was rude of myself to take a photo of them but I did. I didn’t know why I did it yet but as the morning progressed it started coming to me.

I have grown up around Yellowknife’s homeless folk, they don’t scare me and I sympathize for them. A lot of them have addictions, they come from broken homes and can’t just break the pattern they are currently in. When I see them around Yellowknife I see people who have stories of hardships, and these are the stories I want to tell. Why? Because I think knowing who these people are will give us all a new perspective on how we can help them.

On my way to get lunch on the same day I took the photo of the two people sleeping, I met Leonard and Gina on the sidewalk. I was taking a photo of something else and Leonard asked what I was taking a picture of. As I started talking to him, he explained to me his story. Leonard use to have a camera like mine and liked to take photos, but some months ago he lost it.

As you would guess, Leonard and Gina are not from Yellowknife. Leonard is apparently from PEI or started off his journey there. He has hitchhiked clear across Canada. About a year and a half ago he met Gina and they have been together ever since, they even refer to themselves as husband and wife even though it may not be official.

Why these two keep traveling I don’t know but before coming to the NWT, the two where in Whitehorse for sometime and then when the opportunity arose they hitchhiked right into the NWT. Leonard told me he had never been to the NWT and wanted to check it out.

What really stuck out to me about these two is how honest they seemed and how optimistic they both appeared. Leonard had said that he is an alcoholic, he didn’t shy around it. It is his addiction.

As our conversation was winding down we got on the topic of where the two had been staying. Up until that day they had a tent in the bush where they were living – Leonard and Gina as a couple wanted to stay together and neither overnight shelters allow that so they opted for their tent. Unfortunately a fire, presumably from their small stove they used for heating, lit their tent on fire and they lost all their belongings and heating fuel. Not even thinking about the couple I photographed earlier I asked where they stayed last night. Their response, TD Bank ATM area. I was shocked to have come full circle with the couple from the morning. Leonard then praised the people of Yellowknife because between leaving the bank that morning and meeting me on the street another resident had heard about their tent and gave them another one.

Leonard and Gina aren’t perfect people and many have also told me how these two can be aggressive and rude but I gave them two minutes of my time and they seemed very thankful to be recognized and spoken to like normal people. It wasn’t until we were practically walking away from each other did Leonard ask for money for a coffee. He didn’t guilt me into it or pressure me, he simply asked. I did give him two dollars, however I would have rather given a coffee card he could redeem, which I’m working on getting.

We don’t always know the stories of those we see on the streets, we often don’t give them the time of day and simply think of them as an eye sore. But just imagine if we did. Sure some stories will not be pleasant some people really are two lazy to try and turn their lives around but others have had the misfortune of getting into these situation they can’t get out of. I don’t have a solution I can only tell the stories of these people in the hopes it help find one.

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I don’t mind of course but I think it quite coincidental that my parents left a mere two days ago for Airizona, just before the snow started to come.

They probably planned it perfectly to avoid the first major dumping of snow.

Conveniently this first snow was over a Friday night so Saturday morning was perfect for shovelling. Shoveling the driveway, the walkway to the back, the back patio and the deck. Okay I think my parents have to much that needs shovelling.

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Once again I am off on another adventure and this one I have been looking forward to for sometime now.

I actually haven’t really traveled any where since January when I moved back to Yellowknife but that was only from Fort St. John. There seems to be enough for me to do in Yellowknife to make me feel like I don’t need to go anywhere.

I’m off to Victoria, BC this time around. I will be attending the Social Media Camp once ago and figured I might as well go a few days early and see the sites.

Friend and coworker Martin will be taking me up to Long Beach and Tofino. We might also get to go to Pender Island.

I have to say even though I don’t think I could ever really live anywhere else I really enjoy Vancouver Island.

It was tough leaving Yellowknife this morning. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, sunny and 22*C. Yellowknife summers are like no other.

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Yellowknife has been having some ridiculously nice weather lately and fingers crossed it doesn’t end.

I have been biking into work steadily for about three weeks now with much joy. When I started my time to get from my house to my office, which is about 3.80kms, took me 13 minutes. As of lately my time has gotten down to between 10-11 minutes with my fastest time being 9 minutes 11 seconds.

My legs have been getting stronger and I am noticing that I’m not panting as much when I finish the ride. It is becoming more enjoyable than anything else. That being said I got my first taste of the rocks again today and it wasn’t even that far.

As I was riding home I took a quick detour up the start of the hiking trail around Frame Lake. Simple rocky surface up a small hill. It nearly killed me climbing. The bike did well bouncing off one rock to the next but my legs were not prepared to deal with gravity. I ended up stalling and falling off a couple times. It was pathetic but I’m not giving up. This is just the start.

The bike I am riding is a Specialized Chamber Pro 29er and has been supplied by the awesome people of Ernie’s Sports Centre in Grande Prairie. They have been very kind to me and their service is amazing. Go Like their Facebook Page and you’ll see what I mean.